World War II planes flew over Washington DC to celebrate the 70th anniversary of VE Day

A number of vintage World War II military planes took to the skies and flew over the monuments in Washington, DC on the morning of May 8 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the defeat of the Third Reich in Europe.

The planes flew in formation over the National Mall and the Washington Monument, before heading south along the Potomac River in formation. The planes, according to CNN, flew in formations that were meant to commemorate the major aerial operations of World War II.

A total of 56 aircraft flew over DC in an event that took over a year of coordination to put together, Fox reports. After the flyover, a number of the planes will be displayed at the National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia for an open exhibit.